APPreciation: Happiness in Social Media

As a typical college student, I spend a good portion of my time every night dipping my fingers on social media, checking my phone on every beep that comes through my senses, or even settling down on my laptop when I decide on taking my social media-thon to the next level. Through this activity, I cannot elude reading tweets that scream something my heart breaks for: series of “I hate this life”, “Can this day get any worse?”, “Geez, thanks for the appreciation. Really.”—these are mere ropes of rapid reckless words to some, but I think we cannot blame these people for pouring out their intense reveries online, most especially considering the fact that their social media accounts may be the only way to pacify their pained souls.

It takes a handful of realizations — beyond the pixie dust– to understand these so-called ramblings.

When these regular weary-tweeting happens, I normally let my heart do what it sincerely yearns to do: Send them any random messages of encouragement. I have done this tactic a lot of times already, and the happiness I get from people’s reactions is something that sparks wonders so beautiful that I might not be able to interpret it into poetry.

I have pondered that if these gloomy posts on the internet wake us so strongly, then posts of appreciation can weigh a lot on the effect-o-meter as well– and who knows, these happy posts bring a better effect online, even?

Here are some ways on how to effectively utilize your social media accounts in the hopes of making someone’s day:

On Facebook:

-A private message is the way to go! Here, you can send a full-length piece of pick-me-upper, most especially if you’re not a fan of short letters (plus, an unlimited amount of emojis!).

-Go beyond the conventional; good mood infects some people’s systems whenever they receive random funny photos (memes, perhaps) or videos of dogs doing the weirdest tricks or cats sitting like how humans do. Give it a try!

-This age of online creativity is evident in the forms of inspirational and empowering publications and communities. Normally, they post quotations and stories. If that one friend is feeling down, the solution may just be to tag him/her in the comments section.

On Twitter:

-Personally, notifications on Twitter excite me much, much more than in any other social networking site. Mention that sad fellow in a one-liner of encouragement and top it off with an adorable emoji– who knows, that could finally make him/her calmly sleep.

-One peculiar tactic: through the power of direct messaging, send chopped phrases stating the reasons why you think the person is amazing. Normally, people perceive direct messages as confidential alerts or announcements and the like, so just imagine the surprise the person will be getting through your random but equally touching gesture.

On Instagram:

-Upload a photo of the both of you; it doesn’t matter if it was taken in a yesteryear or two. What matters is that you’ll be able to spark a bit of nostalgia in the best possible way. Take it as a means of reminding the person about the happiness you both felt in that moment, and it’s not impossible to feel it again today.

-If the person gave you something in the past (a keychain? A quirky-looking red pen? A notebook you never used?), take a photo of it and post. Gratefulness follows appreciation and leads to a beam of bliss. Caption it with, “Hey, (@mention)! Do you remember this? Just found it inside my closet after rummaging this afternoon and it never fails to make me smile!” or if you’re clever with words, go for a pun!

About the Contributor

Jelou O. Galang is the Editor-in-Chief of Charlie ‘n’ Charlotte (https://www.facebook.com/charliencharlotte) and a sophomore at the University of the Philippines-Manila. Among her peculiar likes include the extraterrestrial life, jeepney ride stories, late night car rides, vinyls and daydreaming about making her own indie film. Commonly seen holding a pen on one hand and a camera on the other, this girl loves putting her most ~creative~ foot forward in every endeavor, whilst braving herself against fears. Her randomness can be seen at: http://ajelouishnarration.tumblr.com/.

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